


Z is for Zodiac

by scarletmanuka



Series: V/V Alphabet Challenge [26]
Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2016-08-17
Packaged: 2018-08-09 06:58:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7791394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletmanuka/pseuds/scarletmanuka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>These are real zodiac signs from the Disc. I think mine would be The Cow of Heaven lol</p></blockquote>





	Z is for Zodiac

Rufus looked furtively around the waiting room, making sure that he was alone. When he was sure there was no one in the immediate vicinity, he opened _The Times_ and flipped to the middle pages, scanning his eyes down until he found what he was looking for. Ever since Madame Tuscany had began doing the zodiac column in the paper, Rufus had found himself hooked. He was by all means a practical man, little given to fancy, but after reading his horoscope the first few days and seeing the predictions come to life, he now didn't miss a day.

Of course, they were all rather vague, and could be interpreted in a number of ways, but when the major excitement in your day was the arrival of your stationery order, sometimes you had to look to the more wayward spots for entertainment.

He found his own sign, Mubbo the Hyena, and read the blurb.

 _A chance encounter today will reveal a secret about someone you admire. Don’t ask for opinions as you won’t get a straight answer anyway._ _Lucky number is 6, and your lucky colour is turquoise._

Hmmm, interesting. He had been planning on asking one of the other clerks, Simon, to read over a draft he had done that outlined the resources and manpower required during the first phase of The Undertaking. Maybe that wasn’t the best idea today?

Out of interest, he found Vetinari’s sign, The Scythe.

_There could be some confusion today, or at the least it may be hard to get the information you desire. The afternoon may bring some tender moments. Lucky number is 96754, and your lucky colour is beige._

The Patrician _did_  have that meeting with Downey this morning regarding the how much the Guild currently owed in taxes. It didn’t really take a prophecy to know that getting _that_ information would be like pulling teeth. Drumknott shrugged, and looked up as he heard footsteps approach. It was Commander Vimes for his 9am appointment. “Good morning, Commander. Please have a seat.”

Vimes grunted, and sat down, glancing at the clock. It was dead on 9am, so he knew he had at least ten minutes to wait.

Remembering that Vimes had had his birthday last month, Drumknott decided to read up on what the stars had in store for the Commander today. It had been towards the end of the month so that would make him, ah yes, The Celestial Parsnip.

_A friend may be moody, so be careful who you chose to eat with. Fireworks will signal a romantic rendezvous. Lucky number is 19 and ¾, and your lucky colour is pink-one-shade-lighter-than-magenta._

“Have a busy day ahead of you, sir?” Drumknott asked casually.

Vimes shrugged. “Just the usual, though I’m taking Angua out for lunch to say thanks for having my back last week during that brawl.”

A quick glance at the paper confirmed that tomorrow was the full moon. Well, well, well. Vimes had an interesting lunch date ahead of him. A small bell tinkled, and the clerk closed the paper, and slipped into work mode. “The Patrician will see you now,” he said, showing the Commander in.

********

The morning meetings ran late, and so it was early afternoon by the time Drumknott finally took his lunch break. Vetinari had called for his carriage for a meeting in the city, and so the secretary wouldn’t be needed for some time. He decided to take advantage of the situation and head out to one of the cafes to eat. It was a bustling day in Ankh-Morpork and the streets were full. It took some time for Drumknott to find somewhere with a spare table, and it was much farther away than he would normally have ventured.

The food was good though, the coffee was strong, and the sun was warm on his face. The clerk felt himself relax as he watched the crowds around him. Across the street, out the front of one of the more luxury hotels there was a commotion. A horse had startled, and had broken free of its carriage. Red uniformed bellhops were trying desperately to calm the animal, but it was bucking ferociously. As he watched, Drumknott saw Vetinari walking up the road towards the hotel. He hadn’t been told where the meeting was taking place, but it must have been nearby. Even though he knew the man didn’t begrudge him a lunch break, the clerk turned his body so he was angled away from the road. He didn't want his boss to think he was spying on him. As he turned, he saw Commander Vimes approaching from the other direction.

The horse screamed and bucked hard at a passing cart. Wood was splintered and barrels rolled from the cart, scattering across the road. One rolled directly for a food cart that was selling hamburgers, and crashed into the hot grill.

“Look out!” the driver of the cart yelled, dashing across the road and pulling the vendor to safety, just as the barrel exploded. Bursts of colour whizzed through the air, and Drumknott realised the cargo had been fireworks. His eyes widened, and he looked around to see where Vimes was. Unnoticed amongst the commotion, Vimes had ducked into the hotel entrance, side by side with Vetinari.

A hand flew to his mouth in surprise, and Drumknott couldn’t wait to see what the horoscopes had in store for tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> These are real zodiac signs from the Disc. I think mine would be The Cow of Heaven lol


End file.
